How to Be a Liberal

The Story of Liberalism and the Fight for Its Life

De: Ian Dunt

Narrado por: Ian Dunt

From Brexit Britain to Trump's America to Orban's Hungary, liberal values are under attack.

In a soaring narrative that stretches from the English Civil War to the 2008 financial crash and the rise of populism, the journalist Ian Dunt tells the epic story of liberalism, from its birth in the fight against absolute monarchy to the modern-day resistance against the new populism.

This book explains the political ideas which underpin the modern world. But it is also something much more than that - it is a rallying cry for those who still believe in freedom and reason.

©2020 Ian Dunt (P)2020 Ian Dunt

Brilliant!

A hugely engaging book that speaks to our moment by placing the contemporary malaise in politics within a broad historical narrative of Liberal thought. A must read!

Sobering and essential

If you're used to hearing Dunt through his broadcasting, you might be surprised at the tense, measured delivery on display here. As he guides you through the story of liberalism, and the walls it has had to demolish at every blood-stained step on its way to where we are today, you'll get the point of his urgency. It's unfinished business, and it's fragile. It's a work that's clearly been extensively researched and reasoned, but it explains the competing mindsets that are shaping geopolitics today. If you consider yourself a liberal of the centre left or the right, you'll probably end up reassured that you're on the right side, but you'll have a much better idea why that is.

Almost Quit Listening, But Glad I Stuck With It

A fantastic audiobook! The author takes you through stories of key notable figures which he believes encapsulate the evolution of liberal thought.

To clarify, this audiobook is by no means a comprehensive history, nor does the actual book itself contain sources apart from the author citing the experts he worked with in the Afterword. So while I can't say you'll get a thorough education on liberalism, you will learn a very engaging summary on how liberal ideas evolved over time. You'll learn about the liberal emphasis on property rights of John Locke to the egalitarian liberalism of John Stuart Mill to the laissez-faire liberalism of Friedrich Hayek to the "liberalism" know today as identity politics.

At times I've stepped away from the "liberal" label, simply because I don't want to be associated with the identity politics "liberal" I see today. Arguably, it shouldn't even be called liberalism! But this audiobook argues there still is a liberalism out there, one which has been unreasonable trashed upon, one which the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater, but if we continue using it it's still the most useful tool we have so all of us can live together and not die together.

Note: The narrator is the author of the book, and he is pretty monotone in his delivery. It doesn't bother me very much, but noting here for anyone who it may.